Shorten looks at plans for recovery on West Coast

THE federal government could find money to assist the West Coast as it recovers from Mt Lyell mine's closure, opposition leader Bill Shorten said.

THE federal government could find money to assist the West Coast as it recovers from Mt Lyell mine's closure, opposition leader Bill Shorten said.

Mr Shorten said the government had to find "scarce resources" for the region to use as its economy changed following the mine's closure.

He spoke from Hobart after weather stopped his planned visit via helicopter to Queenstown.

Mr Shorten said driving to the town was not possible within the "timeframe" he had.

"The West Coast is a dynamic community. There are opportunities there," Mr Shorten said.

State opposition leader Bryan Green's call to divert $16 million in federal funds for Cadbury to West Coast projects was an option, he said.

He rejected the federal government's claim it was important not to rush into funding assistance programs.

"One man's rush is another man's starvation," Mr Shorten said.

Mr Shorten said the federal Liberals had been "conspicuous by their absence" from the West Coast.

Federal member for Braddon Brett Whiteley visited Queenstown on July 25 and will return on August 21.

Tasmanian Liberal senators Eric Abetz and Richard Colbeck are yet to visit the town since Mt Lyell mine closed.

Mr Whiteley said he was working with the state government's West Coast task force and the region's business community.

Mr Shorten had not offered ideas to assist the West Coast, he said.

He said it was important not to raise expectations in the region.

It would take time to diversify the West Coast economy, Mr Whiteley said.

EDUCATION

Mr Shorten said the federal government's education funding plan would create a "two-class" system of wealthy schools and poorer ones.

He denied that there was a need to make savings in the federal education budget.

"It's a question of priorities. I don't think this country can afford not to spend on education," he said.

The government plans to spend less on education after 2017-2018 than promised by the previous Labor government.

It says this, along with savings made in hospitals spending, will save $80 billion by 2024-2025.

Mr Shorten said the government could find savings by scrapping its proposed paid parental leave scheme or taxing multinational companies instead.

DATA STORING

Labor had not seen the details of a proposed scheme for telecommunications companies to store users' data for two years, Mr Shorten said.

However national security needed consultation between the Coalition and Labor, he said.

"We need to make sure that our national security agencies are able to do the job they are required to do and keep Australia safe," he said.

"But at the same time we have got to make sure that we don't have the rights of individuals, their private conversations on the internet being intruded upon by 'Big Brother'. So it's a matter of getting the balance right."